Description

Set 1

Shakedown Street-> Greatest Story Ever Told, Friend Of The Devil-> El Paso, Bird Song-> Cassidy, Tennessee Jed-> Looks Like Rain, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider

Set 2

Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain-> CC Rider, Estimated Prophet-> Eyes Of The World-> Drums-> Not Fade Away-> Wharf Rat-> Around & Around-> One More Saturday Night, E: It's All Over Now Baby Blue, E: Good Lovin'*

*Second Encore

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Reviewer: N Hoey - - December 31, 2011
Subject: EQed?
There's no way this version is a straight flat transfer of the master cassette or that the Dolby B is properly decoded. It has a very obviously boosted high end. It is probably a Dolby B master played back without proper decoding. That is more likely than EQ being applied. Either way, the noise(hiss) that is very audible between songs is too loud and the frequency balance is too falsely bright to be natural. That false brightness is appealing in the same way that certain types of cosmetic surgery are appealing if you know what I mean... some people just like it and don't care that it's fake.
I think this is the best straight version:
Source: 2 Nakamichi 300 mics > Sony TC D-5m (Dolby B)(TDK SA-X 90, Maxell UDXL-II 90 'Estimated thru Baby Bloe')
Lineage: Nakamichi Dragon (Dolby B decoded) > Panasonic SV 3700 DAT (A/D conversion)(HP data cartridge) > Apple G4 (RME interface)(Peak 5 editing) > Xact
along with this one:
anonymous taper, Jamie Poris, Mark Severson

Edit2011-12-30: Since one can only post once in these threads I'll just add to my original post.

OK. So I was right in detecting the Dolby pre-emphasis boost. No need to be defensive Charlie, audience recordings are inherently variable. I've made great ones and not so great ones. The not so great ones i haven't circulated when obviously superior ones are available. This is not the best version of this show, plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that.

Honestly Charlie, your efforts and contributions to GD tape collecting are exemplary, but this was a miss, not a hit. It does not "sound fine", especially in A/B listening comparison to the other versions I mention above. As an editor, you can't improve the source material you're given to work with, that's fine. But can we not have to pretend that because you transferred and edited it, that somehow automatically means it IS the best version, it isn't. Granted, you aren't the one promoting that idea, but in all my 35+ years of recording, trading, etc, one thing is certain, there are no taper gods, nobody ALWAYS has the best version. Happy New Year.

Reviewer: lp357 - - December 31, 2011
Subject: re-educated
Nhoey-Charlie is an archive god, his techniques are not to be questioned by mere mortals. Bless the powers that be that we get to enjoy the fruits 0f his labor.
Thank You Charlie

Reviewer: brandnewaboutit - - December 1, 2011
Subject: Best of '81?
Long a favorite show of mine, taking a fresh listen right now for the first time in a couple years, so I figured I would review...

First Set
One for the ages...one of the great first set's of the latter day Dead. Garcia is in one of those "smack zones" he hit occasionally in the early 80's...he is en fuego throughout.

The opening Shakedown is funky and jammed out...Jerry really stretches things out. Very quickly it's clear that the makings are there for a special night. GSEt is its usual high energy self, with that little something extra on top...strangely enough, FOTD and El Paso are the tunes that cause the listener that something is really happening here. The slowed down FOTD, so often a bathroom break, catches fire thanks to Garcia, who just will not stop-actually puts together a hot little jam that gets kinda bluesy before the final return to the FOTD theme. What follows is my favorite El Paso, solely due to the energy of Garcia's neverending lead...check it out. So if two first set throwaways were that hot, what happens when they play something big like, say...Bird Song?It comes next. At this point Garcia is absolutely in the zone. Even his intro riffs have a little extra oomph. As soon as he's done singing the first verse, it is off to the races. He riffs on the theme for a minute before taking it beyond, stopping for a moment when he lights upon a riff that amuses him...at one point he almost gets into a 72 space, like a tiny little baby Tiger jam...at this point Jerry's energy is clearly rubbing off on the rest of the band. I am reminded in this Bird Song jam of why this show gave me new appreciation for Bobby's rhythm work...he is playing some cool stuff, trying to match Garcia's energy...at one point they get into a little groove together that is very cool. Jam twists and turns, no wasted moments until it finds its way home for the second verse and then Cassidy!As in El Paso, Jerry's guitar effectively has its own vocal line in this song...and not in an obnoxious or distracting way. It works. After "let the words be yours I'm done with mine" Garcia immediately takes the jam in a spacey direction, Bob eager to keep up. It is only about 90 seconds-2 minutes tops before it's back to "flight of the seabirds" and the end of the song, but a hot little jam it is!Bird Song and Cassidy are two of my favorite first set songs, and it's thrilling to hear them played so well back to back. I'd have to assume that these versions are among the best of the decade for both songs. After some tuning and spaced out Bobby banter, during which the hometown Greek crowd takes to chatting(which makes for good light entertainment on these Auds) Jerry telegraphs the Jed, then the band kicks into it for real a few seconds later. This is noteworthy only as yet another first set standard played to its fullest here, thanks to the guitar styling of one J. Garcia. Show me a hotter solo on an eighties T. Jed-I'd be thrilled to hear it!The Greek crowd roars its appreciation as he winds back into the final chorus. Bobby picks up LLRain out of the ashes of Jed-and since we all know that the best part of LLRain are the Jerry licks in the background, and since we've by now gotten the message that Jerry is ON tonight...should be a treat. Indeed, this stands as my favorite version of Looks Like Rain. I just listened to another hot 80's show, 09.11.82, which is also a Jerry show and also features an LLRain which is quite good...I can say definitively that this one is better. But the best is yet to come as this epic first set closes with China Cat>Rider(Shakedown, Bird Song, Cassidy, China>Rider...that's some set). China Cat comes on big and bold, colored by the fullness and majesty of Jerry's leads. The jam into Rider absolutely smokes. Burn these discs for the Bobby-lover in your house as this tape and the other excellent AUD of this show by Jim Wise both feature Weir high and clear in the mix, and playing some creative stuff, trying to work off of Garcia's energy. The Rider is big fun, as always-Jerry relishes the headlight, getting in some fanning before the cool Colorado rain. whew!

don't think I have enough reviewing left in me for the whole second set, but the Scarlet>Fire is too good to escape mention. a definite keeper. all of pre-drums is really quite goods...after drums there seems to me to be a definite dropoff. had this show on three discs for many years-wore out the first two while the third collected dust, more often than not.

ABSOLUTELY GET THIS SHOW!

Reviewer: CharlieMiller - - September 12, 2011
Subject: EQ?
I did not use EQ on this transfer. Unlike the other Bob Wagner recordings, this one was played back without the dolby on. Due to Bob's location, there was an extreme amount of low end on the recording. When I played it back with dolby, it was so muddy and bassy that it was unlistenable. I would have had to EQ that crap out of it that I just chose to turn off the dolby. I think it sounds fine. There's also a Jim Wise recording and Joani Walker recording that I transferred.

Actually, it sounded so bad with the dolby on that I had doubts that it was even recorded with dolby.

Reviewer: Go Faster, Get Rounder - - August 25, 2011
Subject: One Smoking Show!
This show just cooks-- excellent fidelity too. Get it.

Thanks to all for the excellent job of taping, transferring, etc. And THANKS for SHARING!

This is choice stuff.

Reviewer: Shut Up 'N' Play Yer Guitar - - September 12, 2010
Subject: Best version so far
This is the source to go for out of all the versions out there. Great balance and sound quality.
The show itself is truly excellent. Jerry is right on top of his game and plays some beautiful stuff throughout. I almost prefer the first set as it is played so well. A great West coast feel Shakedown, a scorching El Paso, Bird Song jam which digs in hard - I could go on.
Great second set too though. Love this version of Estimated > Eyes > Space.
Throughout the show the band sound into it & relaxed enough to let the jams go to some nice places. One of the best shows from '81 in my opinion.

Reviewer: billydlions - - January 30, 2010
Subject: classic show
This is the source to get. It's a very clear audience recording showcasing Jerry in peak form. The setlist is as good as it gets with great jamming in the first set- Birdsong, Cassidy and China-Rider. Scarlet-Fire is typical 1981 high energy and even CC Rider is elevated to the 2nd set and Jerry doesn't disappoint with an ending solo that could have been played at any metal concert at the time. If you like this show also check out the near twin show on 8-27-81. Way too many shows get 5 stars but this one deserves it.

Reviewer: REBLOCHON - - January 28, 2010
Subject: SO WHAT IS THE BEST VERSION ?
FANTASTIC SHOW GREAT PLAYING but from the seven different sources present here which is the best?

help !

Notes

Notes:
-- All disc changes are seamless
-- Recorded by Robert Wagner
-- Thanks to Joe B. Jones for his help with the pitch correction